Quality of Service and Mobility Support in WiMAX

Authors

Abstract

Wireless broadband access standards are evolving to meet current trends, namely
the need for more bandwidth and the support for real-time applications. IEEE Std
802.16 is one of the main keys in this development process. By addressing both
licensed and license exempt radio frequency bands the adoption of this standard
becomes easier.
The WiMAX Forum, an independent organization, is specifying the WiMAX
technology based on IEEE 802.16 and ETSI HiperMAN standards to enable in-
teroperability between the equipment of different vendors. The WiMAX network
architecture model includes a complete architecture to facilitate the deployment
of this technology.
Two major versions of WiMAX have been released, a fixed version supporting
cells with higher coverage and a mobile version supporting advanced features like
mobility and power saving modes.
Handovers between intra and inter-technology represent also a current trend.
IEEE Std 802.21, known as Media Independent Handover (MIH) standard, repre-
sents one of the efforts to enable seamless handovers between different technolo-
gies. Nowadays, user terminals have more then one interface, for instance, one
interface for Wi-Fi networks and other for 3G networks. In this context, the goal
of the MIH standard is to enable handovers between different technologies.
WEIRD is an FP6 integrated European project aiming to use WiMAX to pro-
vide connectivity to remote and impervious areas. Monitoring volcanoes, seismic
activities is easier with WiMAX, also fire prevention with sensors installed in
the field allow real-time monitoring and the control of vast areas from a control
center. WEIRD integrates these applications in WiMAX networks, and provides
extensions that allow to configure WiMAX channels within the applications re-
quirements.